Evaluating a smartphone-based symptom self-monitoring app for psychosis in China (YouXin): A non-randomised validity and feasibility study with a mixed-methods design

Evaluating remote healthcare practices: Experiences and recommendations of healthcare professionals on smart applications

Objective

With the digitalization of objects and spaces, healthcare services are being reshaped globally, creating many potential applications. This study aimed to determine the application potential of remote healthcare services (RHS) in a hospital by considering the experiences, interests, and suggestions of health professionals, and examples of useful applications that can be used, developed, or invented for healthcare systems.

Methods

A semi-structured, face-to-face interview survey was conducted with 176 healthcare professionals working at Bozok University.

Results

Branches with the highest practice experience were internal medicine, cardiac, pediatric, infection, and orthopedics. Experienced participants rated the usability of "Consultation," "Support," and "Monitoring" applications higher than other apps, and indicated that they would prefer to use them for themselves (η²≤0.12). Requirements adequacy was lower for older adults, internal/surgical branches, and physicians than for other groups (η² ≥ 0.05). Application categories showed a significant relationship (0.4 ≤ r ≤ 0.8, p < 0.05). Several variables significantly explained the models (p < 0.001): application-usability (64%), user-demand (64%), and requirements-adequacy (25%). Professionals' demand (r = 0.83) was more strongly correlated to usability than patient demand (r = 0.63). Health professionals (N = 105) from 17 branches provided 57 available, 51 developable, and 19 innovative application recommendations. These were coded according to application type, critical features, presence, integration status, and usefulness.

Conclusion

RHS' application potential in a hospital was revealed considering demographic factors and application categories based on health professionals' experiences, practical interests, and suggestions, with a strong, comprehensive, and up-to-date methodology. The findings have the potential for international application and can contribute to implementing useful and developing original applications.

Acceptability and experience of a smartphone symptom monitoring app for people with psychosis in China (YouXin): a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Access to high-quality mental healthcare remains challenging for people with psychosis globally, including China. Smartphone-based symptom monitoring has the potential to support scalable mental healthcare. However, no such tool, until now, has been developed and evaluated for people with psychosis in China. This study investigated the acceptability and the experience of using a symptom self-monitoring smartphone app (YouXin) specifically developed for people with psychosis in China.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants with psychosis to explore the acceptability of YouXin. Participants were recruited from the non-randomised feasibility study that tested the validity, feasibility, acceptability and safety of the YouXin app. Data analysis was guided by the theoretical framework of acceptability.

RESULTS

Most participants felt the app was acceptable and easy to use, and no unbearable burdens or opportunity costs were reported. Participants found completing the self-monitoring app rewarding and experienced a sense of achievement. Privacy and data security were not major concerns for participants, largely due to trust in their treating hospital around data protection. Participants found the app easy to use and attributed this to the training provided at the beginning of the study. A few participants said they had built some form of relationship with the app and would miss the app when the study finished.

CONCLUSIONS

The YouXin app is acceptable for symptom self-monitoring in people with experience of psychosis in China. Participants gained greater insights about their symptoms by using the YouXin app. As we only collected retrospective acceptability in this study, future studies are warranted to assess hypothetical acceptability before the commencement of study to provide a more comprehensive understanding of implementation.